Friday Favorites

Warm Black Bean Dip - with football season here having an afternoon snack with the game is a must so this recipe looks pretty good for that

Free Wash Cloth Patterns - knitted wash clothes - I know both the crocheted and knitted washcloths I have received as gifts are some of my favorite wash clothes.

Storage Boxes - she just covered ordinary boxes in jute to make cute storage boxes (she has another photo of them here)

10 Recipes using Ground Beef - we always seem to have some ground beef or turkey in the freezer so having some recipes to refer to is always a good idea when in a pinch and needing a meal. These might help you find some go-to dishes and it looks like none of them use a cream of something soup...which although very convenient is a nice change.

How to Paint a Door like a Pro - Our front door is in desperate need of painting. The sun hits it all year around - and heats it up and creates sun spots which eventually lead to cracking in the paint and then flaking. I can't hang a wreath on our front door or anything really because it melts it not matter what it is made out of it something always melts on it - glue or other materials it is made out of so the sun is not my friend for the front door. So really needing that how-to as it is that time to paint the door.

Friday Favorites

Feta, Cheddar and Spinach Muffins - They look pretty and sound tasty
Plywood Painted Floor - seems like a way that would be inexpensive but able to cover up some ugly flooring 
Guide to Knives that you Actually need - getting my knives up to what I think I need has been a task I have been working for several years. 
Blank Printable Calendar - to help get more organized - would be great if you do a household binder. 
Adding a New Tree to your Landscape - video has tips for planting trees

Friday Favorites

DIY Drop Cloth Stenciled Curtains  -  I think this would be an inexpensive way to replace curtains throughout the house.  I just wonder if they look as nice as they do in the photo as I really am thinking this is something I am going to do for our bedroom and the kitchen and dining room.

Staining Oak Cabinets Espresso  - again something I would love to do and this blog makes it look not as difficult as I thought it would be

Organization Board Tutorial -  a board with all the things  I need in one place. Very stylish too! I love the idea of putting them in frames and using them as dry erase boards with the printable check list under the glass.

Clean and Regrease a Kitchen Aid Mixer  - just something that might be helpful to those of us with Kitchen Aid Mixers

Thai Peanut Slaw - this is a different recipe then I usually see...I love the thought of the dressing. I really want to try this and add some grilled chicken to it for a good summer time meal

Friday Favorites

Bead Board Ceiling
50 Grilling Recipe
16 Party Bar Ideas
Natural Body Moisturizer 
Sunset Sangria Recipe

Friday Favorites

Outdoor Blanket - love this idea to use for picnics and just sitting in the lawn
DIY Outdoor Movie Get Together - links to lots of ideas to use at an outdoor movie party
Out of the Box Food - a site that gives you alternatives to processed "kid" food
Chicken Stuffed Poblano Pepper - looks like a good recipe
Board and Batten - DIY Board and Batten

Friday Favorites

How to Install a Light Fixture - photos along with instructions
Lunch Box Gallery - it can help give you ideas for lunch.  It is photos of lunch box contents.
White Bean and Sage Patties -  these I think would be good if you do a meatless meal. They served it with roasted tomatoes - just sounds delicious!
Mess Free Painting Tips - from the Family Handy Man
Hanging a Curtain Rod - Made Simple - using just a piece of cardboard she was able to make hanging a curtain rod look easy.

Friday Favorites

Fixing Scratches on white plates - there are other things in this post but what I really was focused on was how she fixed the scratches in her white plates - we have those on our plates so I want to try this as nothing I have tried so far has worked
Free Labels - really great labels all different sizes and shapes
Should I keep that Paper? -  gives you a graph and then some tips on what to do with the papers
14 Ways to Spruce up Your Bedroom - some very simple things to change up your bedroom
Beef Wellingtons with Gorgonzola and Madeira Wine Sauce - looks like a really good recipe

Repurpose Christmas

If you're anything like me, by the time Christmas is over, you're ready to pack all of those space-sucking decorations away. And if one happens to be broken, or if you're sick of looking at it year after year, getting rid of it sounds wonderful!

Well, stop it. Heh. This year we're going to repurpose. We're going to save money, save the landfill, and be all sorts of crunchy. :)

Even your non-working string of lights can be repurposed! Think about the style of cute, junk jewelry that fills the store at the holidays. Christmas bulb earrings. Christmas bulb necklaces, broaches, bracelets, barrettes.

Old, tired ornaments can be prettied up with some satin and lace. Or jazzed up with sequins and glitter, if that's your style. Grab a hot glue gun and some scraps and design your new ornament with your old ornament as a base. Consider gluing broken ornaments into a beautiful mosaic piece.


Long before I buy new Christmas decorations and pay full price at the store, I walk the holiday aisle at the thrift stores and see what's there. Broken things that just need a spot of glue or a swipe of paint, old wreaths needing some sprucing up, or a whole box full of items that can be taken apart and made into a whole new thing.

Not only do I save a bunch of money, I get to have fun creating. Get the kids involved- what kid can resist paint, glue and sparklies? Not this one. ;-)

Last year I had a snowman Christmas wreath. It was cute enough- singing, animated snowmen and all- but it was beginning to fall apart, plus I felt I'd 'outgrown' the style. In fact, when I was packing up last year I *almost* tossed it.

When I got it out this year, I decided to repurpose. I took it apart, and with just a few cheap purchases at the craft store, I came out with not only a new wreath for the door, but with enough leftover supplies to make a few more decorations.

The only part of this that is original is the wreath itself. There are always piles upon piles of old, ugly wreaths at the thrift store. (hint hint) I like the clean, simple lines of this wreath, and as cheap as it was to throw together, next year I can do a completely different style if I want to and not feel like I've wasted a ton of money.


This is the pile of leftovers I had when I was done. It's a combination of stuff cut from the old wreath and supplies from making the new one. I tossed them all in a basket, threw it on the table and called it a centerpiece. :)



This literally took me about 60 seconds to make, using nothing but leftover supplies.



And those silly motion-activated, singing, dancing snowmen from the original wreath?



I placed them on a table in a high-traffic area just so I could listen to the groans of my cheerful teenagers. With each loudly crooned verse of "Let it snow, Let it snow, Let it snow" I was entertained with "Moooo-oooooom! That is SO annoying!" I do take pleasure in the strangest of things. ;)

So, as you're packing up this year, slide your box of thrift-store-bound decorations into the closet. Because while the idea of redecorating may not appeal to you right now, bogged down in holiday-overload as we are, by next year when you pull it all out and the Christmas spirit is just beginning to bubble, you might be surprised at how much fun it will be to recreate, repurpose and redecorate!

Some helpful links:

Thriftshop Romantic: Repurposing Christmas Decorations

Mom's Budget: Repurpose Your Christmas Decorations

Ways to repurpose broken Christmas decorations

This one gives ideas for how to use your Christmas decorations all year round:
After Christmas Decorating: Repurpose Your Christmas Tree and Ornament Collection

Friday Favorites

150 Stocking Stuffer ideas  - of course all vanilla and some for kids too but I am sure the creative minds that come and read here can think of something with chocolate sprinkles to add  your adult stockings too.
101 Simple Handmade Gifts - a list of of links to handmade gifts
10 DIY Garlands - it shows these as DIY but some have a cost behind them but they are basically showing them because they can be handmade
2011 Ultimate DIY Gift Guide - links to tutorials and recipes that are good gifts
Everything in a Jar - Handmade Gifts - these are really like mini gift baskets - some cute ideas
50 Stocking Stuffer Ideas for Men - which I think often these lists are geared towards kids or women so one for men is nice

Apps for Domestic Service Part 2

These are apps I have read about or heard good things about. But I don't have any of them as of yet. That might change over the next few days. 


Productivity 
Pocket Informant - powerful Calendar, Notes, Contacts, Task functions to your device (iPhone, iPad, blackberry and android). It is capable of  creating events, has task grouping, GTD/Franklin Covey style tasks, Google, Toodledo, and Desktop sync. 


Saving Money 
Mint  -  It has easy budgeting, timely alerts, helpful graphs, investment tracking, help to achieve goals, bill reminders,  and ways to find savings

Grocery Pal - Find sales your local grocery and discount stores. 

Apples2Oranges - lets you compare two prices, even when the item sizes are different. Also does calorie count.

Recipes
Spark People - Food and fitness tracker as well as healthy recipes

Betty Crocker Cookbook -  2,500 tried-and-true recipes at your fingertips

Cooks Illustrated - 50 of Cook’s Illustrated's all-time best recipes, along with a collection of popular and practical supermarket ingredient reviews, recipe videos, and kitchen timer and shopping list features

How to Cook Everything/How to Cook Everything Vegetarian - "Thousands of recipes and variations; how-to illustrations; menu ideas; and Mark Bittman’s straightforward cooking advice for simple good food. App-only features include recipe timers, easy-to-use shopping lists, and Favorites folders. Best of all, each app is self-contained, so no network connection is required, making these apps the ultimate on-the-go kitchen companions."

Smoothies - dairy free - 100% vegan smoothie recipes

21 Day Vegan Kick Start -  recipes and resources to improve and regain your health and includes step-by-step recipe photos.

FoodGawking - has food porn and then links to the recipe/resource.  Go to the bottom of the page and you will see the link for download on iPhone

Fooducate  - You scan the barcode and it will tell you what is actually in the product (basically telling you things you don't understand on the label) and then it will also give you healthier choices. 

Green
iGrowit - it is for the USA and UK. Find out what vegetables you can plant right now, follow detailed growing instructions that will take you from preparation and planting all the way  through to picking and eating your home-grown vegetables, and recipes to use those vegetables in

Green Genie -  Over 100 projects and tips (and growing), sharing strategies and info with others, a breakdown of certified green products, full glossary of green terms, a collection of essential reading, links to the best green websites, an explanation of the different kinds of plastics and their recyclability, alist of green organizations and many other features

Around the House
Remodelista - search files of the sourcebook of products and posts, my Design files bookmarking feature, ability to look at posts in categories. 

Dwell - Modern architecture and design 

Selecting Wines for Dummies -  Articles on popular wine topics, favorites wine list, sharing wines with your friends, sound clip for pronunciation, food and wine pairing tool and several other features. 

DwellGawking - like FoodGawking but for dwellings

CraftGawking - again like FoodGawking but for crafts

Tip Junkie - Great website has a free app that looks good too. You can “Heart” your favorite tutorials from ALL of the Tip Junkie sites to “bookmark” them for easy access later, participate in the Tip Junkie Community


SixThreeFive also left a comment on the last post of her favorite Android apps but I noticed a few of these have links to other devices. 

Chore Checklist - helps me have a checklist of daily, weekly, biweekly and monthly chores. 

Our groceries - Lets you share and create multiple grocery and other to-buy lists. Just sync your phone and you won't need to call home to see if you need milk. 

ShapeUpClub - Logs my excercise and calories. 

Easy Money - keeps track of your credit and debit cards, as well as your walled and change. You just have to remember to use it... Has bill reminders, budgets, and other things as well.

House Maintanence Schedule - I don't personally use this, we live in an apartment, but it helps you remember to clean your waterheater, you vents, and other seasonal chores. 

Chore Master Pro - Allows family members to gain points for doing chores. We don't use this one, but if we had children old enough, I think I would.

FetLife Domestic Servitude group had a good thread on this subject too so please check it out for some members favorite apps. 


Just a few other links you might find some good apps...
From AppGuide - Best Chore Management Apps
50 Best Android Apps from PCWorld
Gizmodo The Best Android Apps


Please share in the comments your favorite apps that help you in your service. 

Friday Favorites

5 Tips for Green Furniture Refinshing
Food Swap - this link highlights a food swap that was going on in Portland but what I am really linking it for is the links at the end for those who would like to organize or now after reading about them will try to find local food swaps
Best Comfort foods for Winter by Treehugger - just some scrumptious looking food/recipes.
3-Tiered Stand - with the holidays coming up and entertaining I can see this being in use a lot
Custom Cabinet Knobs - I just like the look of these knobs and they are much less expensive then having to buy any other kind of knob.  As someone who has 46 knobs in the kitchen, I am always trying to find a less expensive way to replace them all.

Apps to Help your Domestic Service

We are geeks in this household so we utilize our smartphone and iPad to help with day to day life . 

All the apps are either linked to their website which has a link to the app or the iTunes store.  But please google the name if you want to see it has an app for other devices such as Blackberry or Android.  We use a AppAdvice to get most of our apps for free (this is geared to iPhone and iPad but again google for name of app for use on other devices.) Things that normally charge will do free for limited time so please bookmark this site as a resources to find apps.  They also have an AppAdvice app - which is how we actually use/read it and I find it is worth price. But view the website not just the above link but the whole website for a while and see what you think.   

Productivity
For a to-do list/task list organizer - Toodledo - it is a great tool. It has customizable alarms, you can set priority levels on them and break the projects down into tasks, you can share with others, it has folders, tags, contexts, subtasks and more to organize, search and sort through your tasks. It also syncs with Google calendar and gmail. 

Reference
Skygrid - basically really powerful newsfeed. If you are needing to find something out on the web and having problems, put that topic in and it will take some time - usually a day and start pulling in everything it finds on the topic. It is really good to if you don't have time right now but let it pull stuff in and then when you are sitting in a doctors office or have 10 mins you can browse through the things it found on the topic you were needing.

Dropbox - sharing files anywhere. It has been an amazing tool for us for business but we use it when we sit just with a wall between Master and my office because it is so easy to use it for sharing files. You just drop and drag to a folder that is on your computer and it will upload it to be shared with those you specify.  There is a little pop-up notification on the toolbox when someone has shared something with me. You then will also be able to access it anywhere because it is saved up in the cloud. So I can save a list of household needs and measurements and when out and about, I can access it.

Evernote - Take a note of anything. I like it because I can save websites, news articles and things I know might not be there at some point but evernote will save it for me forever as long as I want it. I can then access it anywhere. So if I read a great article online about wine, I save to evernote and when shopping for wine pull it up up on evernote.

HowCast - videos on How-To.  How to do almost anything.


Free Wi-Fi Finder - just what says

Remember that many magazines will give you issues via their app for free if you have a (paper) subscription to them. I have Martha Stewart's Living and Everyday Food and love the issues on the apps as they have extras like videos or more photos.  It is nice to read the recipe right on the iPad instead of trying to keep my magazine open on the counter or ripping it out.

Saving Money
Gasbuddy.com has an app that we use all the time to find the cheapest gas. The other night Master saved 14 cents a gallon not traveling very far down the road to get it either.

The Coupon App- pretty much says it in the title what it is huh? :)

Barcode Scanner - it is for the Andriod but Gizmodo has a list of barcode scanners for other devices too. You can scan barcodes or data matrixs and then the app will find you the lowest price. 


Menu Planning/Shopping Lists
PepperPlate.com - Not only a great website but has an app too so you can access everything you have on PepperPlate.com.  Pepper Plate has a place to store recipes easily from their recommended sites as well as other sites. You can create shopping lists, menus and it also has a planner.  From the home page - it looks like the app allows you to set timers and has a feature so your iPad won't dim when you are using to read a recipe while cooking.   I have been only using it for a couple weeks but love everything I have used it for so far - and just love the interface.

GroceryIQ & NutritionIQ  - Grocery IQ is a great app for creating shopping lists. You can have multiple stores, add details such as size, price and quantity, organize by aisle, has barcode scanning and predictive searches, print or email coupons and it can share with multiple devices and syncs the lists to them so if maybe you went shopping that day and then later one after work another member of your household stops by grocery store and they will be able to see an updated list.  Nutrition IQ isn't as powerful as Grocery IQ but gives you categories of food - nutritious foods and you can click on a category such as fiber and it will list all nutritious foods with fiber. You can then add them to a shopping list and it has the ability to check them off as you shop just as Grocery IQ does. 

Around the House
Handyman App - it is from the magazine The Family Handyman.  It has some old issues to flip through on it but if you want current issues you have to pay for them. The old issues they have available are full of great information though. You can read the forums and blog on the app too.  The forums are full of problems and solutions.

Good Housekeeping @ Home - has stain buster, do-it-all cleaning tips, home decor gallery and news & tips.

ColorSmart by Behr - it has a feature if you use with iPad2 or phones with cameras - where you can take a photo of your room and then upload it  so that change the paint  so you can see how it would look. ColorSnap is the Sherwin-Williams app that is like Behr. SnapShop is a similar app but for furniture. 

Houzz - is basically for inspiration when I want to redecorate or when I start thinking of our dream home and want more ideas. But it is just a gallery of photos that you can save and make notes on each photo for future reference or also upload photos you find inspiring. I think this app is only for iPhone or iPad.


Flashlight - I admit it - I have used the iPad for a flashlight before trying to find my way around in the dark. It casts off more light then the little maglite I have in the junk drawer. 

Recipes
I use the Epicurious app quite a bit when needing a recipe or have an ingredient I want to use - I can a search there.

Soup Master - I got this app for free but it has so many recipes that I do feel it is probably worth the $1.99. It will list like 5 chicken noodle recipes but all are a little bit different.  But the variety of recipes is beyond what I could ever think of for soup.

Whole Food Recipes -  It has categories such as bugget, quick and easy, cooking with kids, you can target special diet needs such as gluten-free, diary-free, lowfat, vegetarian/vegan and so on,  and you can also search by ingredient, build a shopping list from the recipes. 

All Recipes - they have a free version and a paid/pro version that doesn't have ads and has just a few more features. I use the free version and have liked it just fine.   But I can see the paid version might have some benefits if you use All Recipes quite a bit.  Because it will access your recipe box, allow you to create shopping lists from the recipes and just a few more features that you can't get with the free version. But the free version allows you access to all the recipes, doing search by 1 ingredient or up to 8, by nutrition or name. It also allows you to bookmark favorites on the app. 

Big Oven - can search 170,000+ recipes, add recipes to grocery lists, and automatically synchronize those grocery lists, search by ingredient

Pocket Cocktails and Cocktails HD - It is an app for iPhone/iPad. It has recipes for cocktails. They now have their Christmas cocktail section up right now and during Halloween they had some really good cocktails that were great way to celebrate the holiday.  They have a full screen photo for every drink, search by drink name or an ingredient.  Also includes a Pocket Sommelier.  There is a list of tips and tricks such as how to coat a rim of a glass, how to make layer drinks, zest fruit and so on. Even though I have an iPad I use Pocket Cocktails as Cocktails HD hadn't come out when I first got Pocket Cocktails. They are both 99 cents so not bad for all recipes and information it gives you.

Green
Good Guide -  find health, environmental and social performance ratings for 120,000 food, personal care and household products,  has barcode scanning built in to retrieve product ratings while you shop, you can personalize by selecting issues you care the most about such as is a product tested on animals if that is a top priority for you - you can select that to make sure it tells you how that product rates in that area. It also allows you to create shopping lists. 

Locavore - find local, in-season food, seasonal recipes, nearby farmers' markets & farms that sell the products you enjoy. 


iRecycle - tells you how, where and when to recycle just about anything by inputting your location and also shares new with tips and ways to make green changes to your life.  Another app that I think is similar is My Recycle List.

Part 2 of this will be apps that I haven't used but heard good things about and a few other resource lists for finding applications. 

Friday Favorites

Flim Candle Holder - could be very cool especially at Halloween

The Purl Bee - has knitting, sewing and craft projects on it

Recycle Pumpkin Waste - some might be carving pumpkins this weekend and here is a list of things to do with the Pumpkin waste

How to Install a Glass Tile Vanity - step by step with diagrams and photos

Soup Chick - a blog full of soups! I love soup and there are so many good recipes on this blog. Can't wait to try some out.

Friday Favorites

Painted Vinyl Floor -  Maybe there isn't enough money in the budget to replace that vinyl floor - this blogger talks about some of her process in painting her's

How-to Score Good Stuff on Craigslist - buying secondhand is always great for the environment so here is some tips on scoring good stuff on Craigslist.

10 Tips for Real Food Newbies - tips on how to take those baby steps to eating from a box or processed foods to eating whole natural foods

Pizza Dip - good recipe to make for a football snack

Friday Favorites

How to Cover a Lampshade with Fabric - This is a really good step by step with photos for covering a lampshade with fabric. If you were wanting to change up a room this would be one way to do without buying a new lampshade to match.

Kitchen and Pantry Organization Tips - some clever tips for organization

Homemade Soy Candles - directions for making eco-friendly candles

Food in Jars - a website dedicated to canning

Pumpkin Pie with Cinnamon Crunch and Bourbon Maple Whipped Cream - with the cool weather almost upon us here in Colorado, I am starting to crave these kind of autumn treats

Friday Favorites

Freezable Foods - good list of foods that are freezable. I don't think it has EVERYTHING on it of course but it is a good list.

Bourbon Chocolate Milkshake - There was this diner that I went to once that had adult milkshakes and they were so good. And this recipe brought me back to those.

Homemade Cheddar Cheese Crackers - just look really good and more healthy then the store bought ones.

Painting Laminate Furniture - Photos as well as step by step instructions

5 Decorating Mantras to Live By - simple good list

Friday Favorites

A to Z - How to Decorate Series - A to Z has gathered some great bloggers together to do a month long series on decorating

TinyBuddha.com: Being Hard on Yourself - "focus on progress, not perfection–to forgive myself when I’ve gotten negative, and then start anew from right where I stand."

180 Popsicle Recipes - link up to recipes for homemade popsicles to cool off for the summer

Vermontucky Lemonade - from Smitten Kitchen - just looks like a great summertime cocktail

DIY Concrete Garden Spheres - from Design Sponge

Friday Favorites

32 Organizing Tip Links from Tip Junkie

The Ultimate Burger with Roasted Tomatoes, Caramelized Onions and Smokey Chipotle Ketchup - just looks incredible - no wonder it is called the Ultimate Burger

25 Uses for Coffee Filters - I saved this to share here and then it was shared on the FetLife group recently too.

Making Tiered Trays - With all the cute summer plates out I think this would be easy to make and look cute with the industrial looking bolt.

Paint Chip Decorating Tip - tip for keeping your room colors handy

DIY

This idea is great if you have old chairs that you want to spruce up, or you can purchase a chair pretty cheaply at antique stores or flea markets. In my case, I needed a chair for my sewing table and wanted something pretty and decorative too.

Choose a chair with a good solid structure and whose seat you can remove and recover. The one I chose is an old dining room or kitchen chair.



Items needed:

1 old chair
Sand paper
Paint and pain supplies
Fabric (enough to recover the seat)
Staple Gun
* You may want to enhance the padding on the seat as well with foam batting

First, remove the cushion from the chair. Using sandpaper, sand as much of the old paint/varnish off the chair. Start off with a heavier grit of sandpaper and finish with a fine grain to make it as smooth as possible. I also removed the medallion on the back of the chair since it was damaged.



Prepare your paint. I wanted something bright and cheerful and LIME GREEN.



It may take a few coats, here's my chair after the first and last coats.






Make sure paint dries thoroughly between coats, before starting additional coats sand off any drips. Let dry completely after last coat before re-installing the seat.

Now it's time to cover the chair. Trim the fabric so there is a 1 1/2 - 2" overlap on each side. Place the fabric right side down on a table and center the cushion over it. If necessary, add the foam batting. Wrap fabric around and staple, making sure to pull tight and that the corners lie flat. If there are screw holds to hold the cushion to the chair, make sure they remain unobscured.



I have to admit at this point when I originally covered the chair it didn't dawn on me to take pictures of the seat reversed to show how to do the fabric. It was many years ago before I was invited to blog here. I think I took pictures to amuse a friend of mine.

Once chair is dry and cushion is covered, it's time to bring them back together!


Tada!



So this is where I sit when I work on my sewing projects. I'm not confident enough yet in my skills to share how to do anything but mend a seam or make a hemline or sew replacement buttons

Easy Wall Decor - Wooden Tiles

I got this idea from a magazine several years ago, I wish I could find the article but 2 hours worth of searching has not gotten me anywhere. You can modify to your heart's desire to match your decor. It just so happens that the original color scheme from the magazine fits my bedroom colors (cream and brown with touches of teal). Also, you can modify the number of tiles. I know I cut it down from the original number.



Supplies

9 Wooden Tiles, 7 1/4" x 8" x 1" (cut from 1x8 inch board.. apparently 1x8s are only about 7 1/4 inches wide)
Brown acrylic paint
Black acrylic paint
Medium sized paint brushes
Gold Leafing
Gold Metallic Lettering Pen
Gold Stencil Paint and stencil brush/paint dauber
2-3 Stencils that will fit on cut boards
Wall Paper Samples Book*

*Discontinued wall paper samples books can be obtained by visiting shops that sell wall paper and asking if they are willing to sell any or purchase off eBay.

Sand all edges smooth.

Paint two tiles black and let them dry. Paint 2-3 other tiles in brown and let them dry.

Go through the wall paper book and select 5-6 patters and remove from the books. Cut to fit the tiles, so that they wrap around the tiles and overlap on the backside of the board. Use a heavy-duty stapler to secure.




For the brown tiles, chooses stencils and apply with gold stencil paint. Let dry. When dry, use a paper towel and light brush edges with a small amount of gold paint to give it an "antiqued" look.



Take one black tile and apply gold leafing to the entire surface. Follow instructions on the package.



Using the metallic pen, choose a poem or piece of prose and write in very loose, almost sloppy handwriting. My hint on this is don't start from the beginning, pick a section that speaks to you and write until you can't fit anymore on. Mine is from Elizabeth Barrett Browning's "Sonnets from the Portuguese".



To hang, determine the arrangement and apply fasteners. I used 3M's Picture Hangers (I think that is what they are called), they are two pieces with velcro and easy to remove tabs should you need to take them down.



I apologize for the picture quality in some shots. I didn't want to take them all off the wall because putting the back up (for me) is difficult and getting the 2 I took down back up took longer than I wanted due to the fact that I am extremely OCD and getting them straight drove me crazy. So I stood on tip toe to get most of them!!

As you can see I chose to do 2 stencils, and 5 wall paper, the book I chose had a lot of selections that I thought worked well and I didn't trust my painting/stenciling skills very well. The gold leafing was not as hard as I thought it would be, although the hardest part of that for me was making sure that the leaves did not stick to itself while I was laying them down.